The Lazy Guide to Installing Knoppix on a USB Key
trb48
March 29th, 2007
Filed under: Configure, Endpoint Management and Virtualization
I was surfing the web today and I ran across this article: "The Lazy Guide to Installing Knoppix on a USB Key". This could the the solution to everyone's WinPE licensing woes. If we can install Knoppix on a USB key, and use it to deploy images life would be great. Why? Because Knoppix is FREE!
There are many benefits of using a USB key. The most obvious to me is that you can keep your data from session to session. Another is you can install software (i.e. all the files you need to deploy an image). Hopefully, the networking drivers will already be packaged in Knoppix.
Knoppix
This is a good article, and I am going to try it.
As a Debian fanatic, I'm going to find out if that is also possible.
regards
erik
Regards
Erik
www.DinamiQs.com
Dinamiqs is the home of VirtualStorm (www.virtualstorm.org)
Linux boot disk?
Why wouldn't you just use a linux boot disk for imaging instead of having to use a USB key?
Jonathan Jesse
Director of Training
ITS Partners
Linux boot disk
Linux boot disk is a good idea, but not all computers have a disk drive, and one of my customers has also taken all the CD drives away. USB is the best option.
Small, quick, viable, more flexible if you need to change something. And you can have more then one with the current costs.
regards
Erik
Note, I have 8 USB sticks U3 capable 512 MB. I always have a stick with good information. Linux, Windows XP (68 MB)and even a DOS disk.
Regards
Erik
www.DinamiQs.com
Dinamiqs is the home of VirtualStorm (www.virtualstorm.org)
I agree with jjesse, in my
I agree with jjesse, in my case I have some issues related to NICs not recognized and sometimes I have to spend time to test different drivers.
In my experience Linux distributions have a lot of already included drivers.
regards
I agree with Riva and jjesse
Riva, Linux has a lot of already build in drivers. That is a fact, and prevents us from testing various drivers.
On the other hand? The Undi driver in DOS is also recognized very well. Problem is that multitasking is not enabled in that one.
Regards Erik.
Regards
Erik
www.DinamiQs.com
Dinamiqs is the home of VirtualStorm (www.virtualstorm.org)
USB is Fast.
I would use a USB key because they are fast! You can also change them when you need to. If you use a CD or DVD you have to create a new disk every time you want to make a change. Plus they are way slower.
USB gives you the speed and the ability to change whenever you want. That is a good combo for me!
Plus, you could create a multipurpose drive. For instance, you could create a drive that will image a computer, help in data recovery, and partition a drive.
Thanks,
-trb48
USB is fast
USB is fast, they are available in about any disk size and flexibel if you want to change anything. You can even boot complete Windows or Linux from it.
USB rules.
Regards
erik
Regards
Erik
www.DinamiQs.com
Dinamiqs is the home of VirtualStorm (www.virtualstorm.org)
Why not just boot from PXE instead??
Instead of using an USB key, which I agree is fast and allows you to change things. Just create a PXE enabled Linux boot and run your imaging that way. You can change your boot and add drivers if needed just like if you were using an USB drive.
Jonathan Jesse
Director of Training
ITS Partners
Boot from PXE
That is the most common way to do things. But sometimes in fragmented LANs, the USB stick is faster and reliable.
If you don't have to walk to the PC.
Regards
erik
Regards
Erik
www.DinamiQs.com
Dinamiqs is the home of VirtualStorm (www.virtualstorm.org)
PXE...what is that?
I actually know what PXE is. I used to work at a University and PXE did not work. Why? We had so many subnets stretched across campus. USB was our only solution.
-trb48
Stretched subnets
What can help in a environment with stretched networks is to give some of the computers the function as PXE helper.
It is a additional option in the A-client.
Works great.
Is also a great help when your reboot or control option does not work very well.
Regards
Erik
Regards
Erik
www.DinamiQs.com
Dinamiqs is the home of VirtualStorm (www.virtualstorm.org)
Just a different question,
Just a different question. In case of different subnets, can I install a PXE server in a different subnet where DS server is running?
Thanks
PM
Installing PXE in different subnets
Yes, you cann install PXE servers in different subnets. But in most cases you will probably have no servers in the subnets.
Installing PXE on a workstation is a bad decision.
Regards
Erik
Regards
Erik
www.DinamiQs.com
Dinamiqs is the home of VirtualStorm (www.virtualstorm.org)
Just to give a better
Just to give a better description, my question was related in case of one DS server and different subnets.
My target is use only one DS server and in the different subnets put a PXE server that point to the right DS located somewhere.
Regards
PM
Yes. You can do exactly
Yes. You can do exactly what you have asked. Our network has 1 PXE server, 1 DS sever and 8 subnets.
Different subnets
Yes, when you have different subnets, then you need additional PXE servers. One in every subnet.
The PXE server is relaying the traffic to the DS server.
Regards Erik
Regards
Erik
www.DinamiQs.com
Dinamiqs is the home of VirtualStorm (www.virtualstorm.org)
Thanks for your suggestion,
Thanks for your suggestion. I installed a new PXE server that points to the DS server.
Regards
PM
WinPE Cost and PXE
Two huge comments:
WinPE 2.0 is free, Microsoft has dropped the licensing requirements of WinPE.
PXE boot works fine across subnets when properly configured.
Free WinPE
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/aa...
Link to Free PE from Microsoft.
Thankss for the link
Thanks for the link.
I'm going to try winpe in a PXE boot.
Regards
Erik
Regards
Erik
www.DinamiQs.com
Dinamiqs is the home of VirtualStorm (www.virtualstorm.org)
WinPE with PXE boot
We had that set up on our network, but it was really slow. It took forever to create a RAM Drive, and then download all of the WinPE files into it. Has anyone else experienced this slowness? Is there anyway to fix it?
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